# what is the busiest time on this board? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 26, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568 "2010-08-26T18:40:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ladymarmalade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@Ladymarmalade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ladymarmalade)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/1 "2010-08-26T18:40:45Z")
What would be the best times to post a question to get the highest number of replies? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/2 "2010-08-26T18:59:20Z")
Clearly it’s not at 240PM on a Thursday.😃 I’ve found it mostly depends on the question itself. There are people on here from all over the world. Interesting questions get a lot of responses quickly. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/3 "2010-08-26T19:34:43Z")
A lot of posters post from work, some almost exclusively; I get a mild sense that posting volumes drop off a bit on the weekends. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/4 "2010-08-26T19:43:45Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > …I’ve found it mostly depends on the question itself. There are people on here from all over the world. Interesting questions get a lot of responses quickly. It doesn’t even have to be an interesting question, nor one which garners interesting answers. If you want to get a lot of responses, just do something like this: 1. Create a title that everyone can say something about. Example: “Toothpaste” 2. Describe the fascinating relationship you have to the title. Example: “I always apply my toothpaste in an amount that’s exactly half the length of the brush. But my SO says that’s not enough!” 3. Pose a question to which every person who’s trying to kill time at work will be able to contribute their own fascinating facts. Ex: “So, Dopers–How do _you_ all use your toothpaste?” You’re guaranteed to get hundreds of responses, because everyone wants the world to know about the fascinating details of their lives. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/5 "2010-08-26T19:53:04Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > > [@DCnDC](#): > > > > …I’ve found it mostly depends on the question itself. There are people on here from all over the world. Interesting questions get a lot of responses quickly. > > It doesn’t even have to be an interesting question, nor one which garners interesting answers. If you want to get a lot of responses, just do something like this: > > 1. Create a title that everyone can say something about. Example: “Toothpaste” > > 2. Describe the fascinating relationship you have to the title. Example: “I always apply my toothpaste in an amount that’s exactly half the length of the brush. But my SO says that’s not enough!” > > 3. Pose a question to which every person who’s trying to kill time at work will be able to contribute their own fascinating facts. Ex: “So, Dopers–How do _you_ all use your toothpaste?” > > You’re guaranteed to get hundreds of responses, because everyone wants the world to know about the fascinating details of their lives. [I’ve put this to the test.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=575961) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/6 "2010-08-26T20:14:48Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > > [@DCnDC](#): > > > > …I’ve found it mostly depends on the question itself. There are people on here from all over the world. Interesting questions get a lot of responses quickly. > > It doesn’t even have to be an interesting question, nor one which garners interesting answers. If you want to get a lot of responses, just do something like this… Fair enough. But clearly you agree that content is an important factor. Question is, is **Ladymarmalade** asking this in a general FYI-type respect, or in the planning of asking something important in the future? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/7 "2010-08-26T20:36:08Z")
Sometimes the content does make a big difference. It frequently happens that questions about Jewish holidays are asked on the holiday itself. This is entirely reasonable, since that’s when people are most aware of the holiday, and that is what brings the question to mind. Unfortunately, most of the people who are most knowledgeable about it are very UNlikely to answer it right then, either because their observance of the holiday includes prohibitions against using the computer, or because they’re more busy with the holiday and not so much with Straight Dope. The net result is that others keep bumping it to the top until the holiday passes and those who know are able to respond. Logically, I suppose this might happen with other religions or occasions as well, but only for things which are celebrated and observed by a minority. On Thanksgiving, for example, no matter how many people are busy eating their turkey, there are still plenty others at the 'puter reading SD. Well, not counting those who post only from work… ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/8 "2010-08-26T20:38:40Z")
Blast. I was sincerely hoping this thread would sink without a reply. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/9 "2010-08-26T21:30:42Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Blast. I was sincerely hoping this thread would sink without a reply. Well, it’s gotten fewer posts than the toothpaste thread. Can you be happy with that? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/10 "2010-08-26T21:39:15Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > > [@Smeghead](#): > > > > Blast. I was sincerely hoping this thread would sink without a reply. > > Well, it’s gotten fewer posts than the toothpaste thread. Can you be happy with that? Not for long! It’s gathering responses pretty steadily. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/11 "2010-08-26T21:47:58Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I’ve put this to the test. All right, maybe the toothpaste thing wasn’t such a good idea. Let’s try: [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12845498#post12845498). ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/12 "2010-08-26T23:23:59Z")
What a perfect question to put in ATMB. Moved. **samclem** Moderator, General Questions ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/13 "2010-08-27T00:21:54Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > [@guizot](#): > > > > It doesn’t even have to be an interesting question, nor one which garners interesting answers. If you want to get a lot of responses, just do something like this: > > > > 1. Create a title that everyone can say something about. Example: “Toothpaste” > > > > 2. Describe the fascinating relationship you have to the title. Example: “I always apply my toothpaste in an amount that’s exactly half the length of the brush. But my SO says that’s not enough!” > > > > 3. Pose a question to which every person who’s trying to kill time at work will be able to contribute their own fascinating facts. Ex: “So, Dopers–How do _you_ all use your toothpaste?” > > > > You’re guaranteed to get hundreds of responses, because everyone wants the world to know about the fascinating details of their lives. > > [I’ve put this to the test.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=575961) If you’ve read my reply to that thread, you should realize that your observation is jaundiced at best. In my reply I made no references whatsoever to my personal life. My post was designed solely to provide information which would be useful not only to the OP but to anyone else who might wander by. Some of us do have a truly altruistic bent and should not be painted with the same ‘attention whore’ brush that seems to apply to the people you have in mind. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/14 "2010-08-27T08:28:38Z")
I’m in the UK, so based on UK times, I get most responses between about 11:00am and 5:00pm, and then the overnight crew kick in from about 2:00am to 4:00am. I’ve no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/15 "2010-08-27T13:16:35Z")
In [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12847161&postcount=13) from [At this moment what does your computer’s clock display?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12847332) started Today, 05:58 AM, I have tried to help gather some data that may answer your question. Depending on the generosity of other Dopers, you may have some factual basis for a reasonable guess. If it helps any, I have tried to get an answer to your question in the past, and I’ve been aware that weekdays are busier than weekends, and that there’s even a different group of Dopers posting then. Work hours in the USA (6 AM West Coast to 7 PM East Coast) seem to be busier than nights. Time of year matters, too! ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/16 "2010-08-27T13:38:46Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I’m in the UK, so based on UK times, I get most responses between about 11:00am and 5:00pm, and then the overnight crew kick in from about 2:00am to 4:00am. I’ve no idea why. Speaking as someone who is often in “the overnight crew”, the answer is one word. **Insomnia**. That translates into EDT 10 to 12 pm, when I should be going to bed, but if I can’t sleep, I “Dope”. For the rest of the US, it’s late evening, and they are probably getting in their “last Dope fix of the day”. For the earlier period, I would speculate that, since it’s morning in the US, that’s probably because they are posting from work, and that’s the time their bosses are napping in their offices (or maybe banging their secretaries), so less likely to see that they are “doing Dope”. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/17 "2010-08-27T14:18:51Z")
I’ve looked through the list of threads I’ve started, and can’t seem to locate the one that deals with the weekday-vs.-weekend issue, but you might find some clues here: > **[What one hour of the day, on what day, could we expect to find you here?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=358992)** > > As one whose Dope schedule is pretty much daytime, pretty much every day of the week, I have observed that some Dopers have one of these schedules: strictly “from work” during business hours strictly “at night” after business/school hours weekends... What one hour of the day, on what day, could we expect to find you here? > **[The Day Nobody Posted](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=411780)** > > Aside from the times when the server has been down has there been an occasion when 24 hours went by without a single post? I haven’t the first clue how one would search for that jewel of information, but I was curious if any of you can recall such a... The Day Nobody Posted ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/18 "2010-08-27T21:48:37Z")
I asked almost the same question as the OP about [on a Saturday about a year ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=529962) and got \*\*\*only \*\*\*two answers. Both responses tended to disparage the weekend. One responder has since been banned. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/19 "2010-08-27T22:14:50Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > I’ve looked through the list of threads I’ve started, and can’t seem to locate the one that deals with the weekday-vs.-weekend issue, but you might find some clues here: > [What one hour of the day, on what day, could we expect to find you here? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=358992) > What one hour of the day, on what day, could we expect to find you here? > > [The Day Nobody Posted - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=411780) > The Day Nobody Posted I spent some more time to locate [Will this thread last until Monday Aug/8/2005?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=328822) which I started 08-05-2005, 09:08 AM on a Friday. You can see that most of the posts were mine: Who Posted? Total Posts: 89 User Name Posts Zeldar 34 Sunspace 11 laina\_f 10 Queen Tonya 4 Misnomer 4 Anaamika 3 Scott Plaid 3 Kuizelemartz 3 twickster 2 Feydeau 2 QuickSilver 2 pudytat72 2 Beware of Doug 1 Telperien 1 ParentalAdvisory 1 groman 1 pinkfreud 1 Rufus Xavier 1 Trunk 1 Mr Bus Guy 1 TJdude825 1 It’s quite possible, likely even, that if I hadn’t nursed it along, the thread would have perished much sooner. It’s been five years, and much has changed in the environment here, but it’s some data to consider and shoot down. Anyway, there it is. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568/20 "2010-08-27T22:34:20Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > In [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12847161&postcount=13) from [At this moment what does your computer’s clock display?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12847332) started Today, 05:58 AM, I have tried to help gather some data that may answer your question… A clever idea, but at the time of the summary you made, the responses spanned a 9-hour period of time. So I don’t know what it tells the OP. It does, however, confirm my (admittedly exaggerated) point in Post #4 above. People here will post to tell you the length of their left big toe nail, if you ask them. So if you want to get a lot of responses, pose a question–however mundane–that everyone can answer. It doesn’t matter that clearly no one is going to be in the slightest interested in their left big toe–they will still go to the trouble to post in order to let you know the length of its nail. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-busiest-time-on-this-board/551568.md?page=2)